By Staff
Southwestern Michigan College and its Drama Club (President Chris Scott, Vice President Branden Pompey, Secretary Rose Middleton and Treasurer Jill Frey) have a hit on their hands with the independent film festival unveiled Friday night.
Who knew that there were so many college-aged youth who at an age they could have been mowing lawns the summers when they were 12 or 13 whiled away the hot days entertaining themselves by making movies with their friends?
Some of them are now moving on from SMC to Chicago and trying to crack the next level.
The competitive festival featured five short films – "Bunkum," "Flash 7 News: The Sequel," "Q-Tips," "Baltimore" and "The Pearl Necklace."
In between each cinematic slice the crowd could interact for seven-minute segments with the passionate artistes and ask them about their motivation, music, sound effects and symbolism, like the school bus theme throughout "Bunkum," with host Jonny Reinhardt.
A variety of genres was on display.
"Bunkum," written by Jef Burnham and directed by Burnham and Jared Stroup, starred Gary Hood, Ian Orawick, Kate Blanchard, Mick Witt, Scott Topping and Tim Smith in a dramatic comedy.
John Graham wrote and directed "Flash 7 News," clearing up the confusion about it really being a sequel, and that's where the spooky doll fits.
Graham's comedy featured Dan Schultz, Holly Hanchon, Lucas Whitney, Jill Karbowski, Luke Ryggs, Michael Hogoboom, Justin Kellermeier, Anthony Granzotto, Mark Graham, Matthew Graham, Alycia Davenport, Louise Timm and Nicki Babcock "in the lights and behind the scenes" of this newscast satire.
"Q-Tips," written and directed by Stroup, originated with an image he had of someone vomiting Q-Tips. Stroup combines improvisation and surrealism for the film the audience had the hardest time getting their minds around.
It deals with "fate, existence and suitcases."
Gary Hood, who has also acted at Beckwith Theatre in Dowagiac, appears on the phone recounting for someone that he has just been struck by a car.
Andy McNeal and Stroup also appear.
Burnham returned with his dramatic history account imagining what might have happened to Edgar Allan Poe before the author was found dead in the snow.
Jeff McCullough directed and wrote the classic film noir caper, "The Pearl Necklace," a "story of deceit, violence and intrigue" with Branden Pompey, Alex Quijano, Jessica Banish, Ryan Withorn, Denise Greene, David Ferrell, Terra Jackson, Craig Schuur, Thom Cooper, Nathan Carr, Tim Smith, scene-stealing Eric Hess, Chris Scott and Mike Vanderbosch.
It was easily the most ambitious effort, from interesting camera angles to a soundtrack that ran the gamut from Duran Duran to Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man."
The mood of a premiere was also enhanced with twinkling lights and a canopy, movie posters and the aroma of fresh-popped corn.
The fun comes from getting caught up in the filmmaking, then recognizing some of the actors and locations in and around campus and Dowagiac where shooting took place.
The SMC film festival deserves to become an annual event.